La Femme Bella
by saritat
Summary: Bella is accused of murder and before she is sentenced she is taken to a place called Section1. Their ends are just but their means are ruthless. Edward is her mysterious trainer. AU-Twilight in LFN universe drama/suspense/romance LFN knowledge not needed
1. Prologue

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

Not only do I not own Twilight, I also do not own La Femme Nikita. The prologue contains dialogue from the first episode of La Femme Nikita, but I won't need to use as much borrowed dialogue in the future. I didn't want to mess up with the perfection of the set up.

**La Femme Bella**

**Prologue**

First there was nothing. No sight, no sound, no feel… not even a sense of existing. I was trapped in a black void, yet unaware of my entrapment. Later, of course, I would understand that I was as trapped as any living being could ever be, and without any hope of escape.

Well, maybe one day I would find escape in death, but I had discovered that the "survival instinct" of man was stronger than his conscience, or his wish for happiness or even a bearable existence.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, there was nothing; but when the nothingness ended, it ended with a bang.

----

I could feel a slight sting in my arm and I thought that it was what had awoken me. I tried to rub the pain away with my other hand, but my hand wouldn't comply.

My head felt fuzzy, as if suffused in cotton balls. I slowly forced my eyes open and looked around.

I was laying in a small white room and strapped to a hospital bed. The walls were lined with tiles and the floor was bare, with only a drain breaking the monotony near in the middle of the linoleum. It was far from heaven, despite the white hue. In fact, something about the room yelled "slaughterhouse" to me. It would be very easy to keep clean no matter what one did in the room… to women strapped in a bunk.

I shook my head, trying desperately to clear it and to get rid of the dark, twisted scenarios that were pulsing through my mind.

Next to me, with an empty syringe still in his hand, was a young man, not yet thirty in my admittedly hazy estimation. He was dressed in a black, semi-formal suit. Even his shirt was black. His hair, I noticed, was coppery and sticking out unlike anything else in his very proper attire. He had beautiful green eyes, but they were cold and scary in their lack of emotion.

"Good morning," he said in a gentle voice while simultaneously opening my restraints.

I closed my eyes again, swallowing the bile that was rising to my throat. "What is this place? " I croaked.

"To the outside world you are dead. Suicide. This is your grave. Row eight, plot thirty."

I reopened my eyes and took the picture that he was holding out for me. It showed a small tombstone surrounded by a modest display of flowers. The tombstone was engraved with dates and my name, Isabella Marie Swan.

"We've decided to give you a chance," he continued, "This is where you'll train. This is where you'll learn. If after two years everything goes well, you will work for us."

"Why me?"

"A woman with your looks who can kill in cold blood?" he questioned slyly, arching his eyebrow.

"But I didn't! I didn't kill anyone!" I screamed. He was already at the door and I was enraged enough to attack him, although I knew it was quite useless.

It wasn't just useless to attack this man, it was_ inane_. Deadly. In three seconds flat he had me pinned to the floor, laying on top of me and restraining my arms. My stomach hurt from the punch that he had effortlessly landed.

"Next time you attack someone from behind, go for the kidneys. Consider that your first lesson." He got off me as gracefully as the predator that he was.

"I don't want any lessons from you!"

"We start tomorrow morning. 5 A.M.. And if you feel less than cooperative, row eight, plot thirty."

He left the room without looking back to the corner where I had retreated, shaking and trying to contain my sobs.


	2. Chapter 1: Life in Section One

**(AN: **Even though this story takes place in the La Femme Nikita kind of universe, it is not absolutely vital to know the TV-show. In fact, all the more surprising to read this if you don't. There will be some romance elements to come (Bella/Edward), but this is a drama/suspense story before romance.)

**La Femme Bella**

**Chapter 1: Life in Section One**

I kept on circling the man holding the deadly blade. I wasn't fooled; as dangerous as the knife was, it was merely an accessory. Maybe what I had been taught was finally sinking in. I had learned that you didn't assess someone's danger level by looks alone… not in the usual way at least. You observed their eyes, their face and how they held themselves. In short, you read their body language. On a lesser man, this knife would be the weapon to fear the most and on someone who didn't have the balls to use it then the knife would be as useful as a butter knife. However, I was well aware that the man who was holding it now would cut me with it if he could and he wouldn't pull any punches. He'd land me in the medic.

"Focus, Bella!" he warned with his deceptively gentle voice, letting me know that he was far from satisfied by my progress.

I didn't acknowledge his words in any other way than by focusing my concentration and staring in to his eyes. I told myself as a mantra that I would know a microsecond before he would strike if I kept eye contact. I didn't really believe myself, but that flimsy hope was all I had.

"You're not even trying," he scolded me as he lunged and left me with a long cut down my arm. It started bleeding immediately, but it wasn't very deep. I guess he wanted to play with me and test my endurance rather than go for the fast kill. And let's face it - with me the fast kill was still appallingly easy.

It had only taken me a half a second to assess the damage to my arm and I refused to let the pain distract me further. Instead, I used the slightest distraction of his obvious and all too familiar disappointment in me against him. I punched him hard in the face and followed it with a high kick that sent the knife flying. The ache in my knuckles now added to the pain in my arm.

Edward was already poised for another attack and I had lost the little edge that I had obtained. He knocked me in the diaphragm with his elbow and swiped me off my feet. I was down for the count.

"You need to do better," he said emphatically. He paused before continuing, "Esme wants to see you. Go clean yourself up."

He had already disappeared by the time I managed to pry myself up off the floor.

Esme. Oh goodie.

He hadn't needed to tell me to clean myself up before seeing her. You didn't go to Esme covered in sweat and bleeding. I used a minute to try and assure myself that Edward wasn't being patronizing and annoying on purpose. He was my trainer and in his own way I knew that he cared for my survival. In the least, my survival reflected on his abilities as a trainer.

I had spent close to a year in this place called Section One and I still didn't know quite what to think of Esme. As far as I knew, Esme was second in command while Operations was the head of our organization. Esme was in her late thirties, very beautiful and extremely intelligent. She intimidated me quite a bit despite her warm demeanour. If Section One truly was the only family I would ever know again, as she had told me the first time I met her, that made her my mother. And a strict mother at that.

oooo

After showering and getting myself bandaged I changed into clean clothes and went to Esme's office, although the word office seemed insufficient. She had her own private area to work in, plus a comfortable seating arrangement for her personnel interviews and reviews.

And then there was the other stuff.

Esme had a fully stocked make-up table and racks full of clothing for both men and women. There were all kinds of shoes, wigs, and jewellery. Among other things, Esme had taught me how to dress and apply my own make-up and be more feminine overall. According to her, there was no weapon more powerful than my femininity and my beauty and when she said it, I believed her. To me, the key was in learning how to fake it with ease and conviction. I wasn't quite there yet, but I was learning.

"Come in and have a seat, Bella." Esme said behind her desk and gestured me to sit in the opposing chair.

I followed her request and seated myself opposite her. She smiled at me warmly and I instinctively smiled back. As always, her light brown hair was set in perfect waves and the make-up on her face was immaculate and natural.

"So, how have you been doing?"

"I don't know. You tell me? I know that Edward isn't happy with my progress," I muttered.

Esme looked thoughtful. "And what do _you_ think?"

I shrugged. Esme often sounded like a bad shrink, asking what _I _thought and how_ I_ felt. I didn't know how genuine her concern was and if it was concern for me or for her precious Section One.

"He's probably right. I've done my best but nothing is good enough for him."

"Edward is a perfectionist, but that makes him a great operative. He just wants you to reach your full potential."

I didn't reply. I fidgeted instead, staring at the points of my shoes. They were new and expensive Italian stilettos, or so I was told. I had left my training sneakers in my room with my sweats.

"Do you have any questions or comments?" Esme asked, inviting me to share my troubles.

"No. Not really. Well, maybe one thing," I blushed, feeling embarrassed. How was I to become an operative if talking to Esme made me blush like a silly little girl. I thanked the high heavens that I had never had to speak to Operations.

"I just want to know if I'm doing… okay." And not as horribly as I thought I was doing.

Esme remained silent for a while, considering her answer. Then she smiled again and made me feel as at ease as she possibly could, considering the fact that she terrified me.

"We have had recruits that are quicker and more efficient. However, I stay firm in my belief in Edward's instincts. He thinks that you will be a great operative and I agree with him. Does this put your worries to rest?"

"Yes. Thank you, Esme." I made a little bow. I just couldn't help myself with her and then got the hell out of her office.

oooo

"Hi Billy. What are you doing?" I asked the elderly Native American man that was crouched over some tech gadgets that I didn't even pretend to understand. As per usual, he was wearing a red bandana high on his forehead and had his long and greying hair tied in to ponytail with a black leather ribbon. His face was scrunched up in concentration, but then again he was also concentrating on something that blew right over my head so I though it safe enough to at least ask.

"Building a bomb," he answered casually, uniting two wires with delicate pincers.

"Oh," I stated. "Should I go?"

"No, Sugar. I'm a professional. Besides, it's not like anything much _worse_ could happen to me."

I smiled at him, nodding in understanding. Billy was a paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair. Thankfully, it didn't interfere with his job description too much. He was in charge of weaponry and technical stuff like communications devices and apparently, he sometimes fiddled with bombs.

"If I'm out of line please tell me so, but… how did it happen?"

Billy kept his eyes on the bomb but smiled crookedly, as if my question amused him.

"The wheelchair?" he raised his eyebrows, still staring at the bomb.

"Yea. What happened?"

Billy paused his work for a while, considering his words carefully. I was just about ready to stop waiting for him to answer when he finally spoke.

"There was this new tech we were testing. Some poor sod had actually come up with a way to make explosives that were impossible to detect and extremely potent. A teaspoonful of that and you could blow up a whole house. Let's just say I underestimated his description of the potency. I thought he was boasting. I didn't think that was possible."

"You blew yourself up?!"

"Just the legs, Sugar. The rest of me works just fine." he winked, "In fact, I have the age and the experience to see everything through… thoroughly."

Billy was_ always_ mock hitting on me, although sometimes I thought he was being serious. I blushed and before I turned my gaze away from him I could catch him shaking his head, muttering something about lions and lambs.

"Billy… can I ask you about something else?"

"Shoot."

"It's about…" I hesitated. I knew by now that this was a harsh place where too much curiosity could certainly end up killing you. When I didn't continue Billy turned to look at me, his dark brown eyes serious.

"Is it about something you shouldn't ask?"

"I don't know, maybe. Probably." I admitted, "I wanted to know more about…_Edward_." I whispered the last word. "What's the deal with _him_."

"He been riding you hard again?"

"I don't know. I just don't think that he…_likes_ me very much. And he thinks I'm no good at this. He's probably right." I gave a mirthless laugh.

"Don't concern yourself with him, Bella. He's your trainer and you need to get along with him, but that's all." Billy took a look around and when he was satisfied that we were alone, he leaned in and continued in a low whisper. "You need to toughen up kid if you want to survive here. You're one of the good ones, I can tell."

"Yeah." I muttered, but my thoughts were still on Edward and his emotionless, but dazzling, green eyes. What had this place done to him, or had he always been like that? In fact, what did I really know about anyone here. They thought _me_ a killer and that was the only reason they wanted me. I had stopped telling them I was innocent pretty damn quickly. If they knew the truth I would already be dead one way or the other. In the least, the other recruits would surely have eaten me alive and no one would have cared.

oooooooooo

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	3. Chapter 2: Section material?

**La Femme Bella**

**Chapter 2: ****Section material?**

"How are the level two recruits progressing?" Operations asked his right hand, Esme, while they were having a civilized cup of Darjeeling tea in his office.

The furniture in the room was modern and sparse and the walls were white with a few colourful screens showing the current progress of different missions all over the world. One of the walls was made of secured, tinted glass. Because of this window he had a near perfect view to the heart of his domain without being seen if he didn't want to, and the areas that weren't visible from there were spied on and recorded meticulously with the aid of the highest technology and the best personnel.

Operations fit well in this cold room with his well taken care of physique, very blond hair and deadly calm demeanour. His eyes were grey, cool and old beyond their years. At least they appeared so, as it was nearly impossible to determine his exact age. Still, the power he exuded made sure that not many people underestimated him. And no one underestimated him twice.

"Mister Lang is still too aggressive and happy on the trigger; we may have a problem with him. Christine is starting to control her emotions better and focusing on her job. She's turning out to be fine Section material. As for Miss Swan, Edward has confidence in her but her progress is still slow."

Operations looked thoughtful for a second and sipped some more tea.

"Do you agree?"

Without any hesitation – she never hesitated- Esme answered with a quick and empathic "Yes. To an extent."

"What does her psychological profile say?"

"Bella is reserved, even shy. She shows her emotions on her face. She is concerned for her future here and for her lack of progress, and how she feels she is failing her trainer. She wishes very much for Edward to not only_ accept_ her but also _like_ her and declare her competent."

"Is that something we can use as a motivating factor?" Operations asked.

Esme replied with a confident smile. "I think so."

"Good." Operations smiled back and pushed a button opening a comm link, asking for Edward to come and join them.

oooooooooooo

I really, really, _really _despised computers. In fact I was scared of them. Way too many ways to screw up, I guess. I'd never had the chance to either use them or get used to them until I came here, and Newton was not the most patient of teachers. I knew his job was beyond complicated and not something that just anyone could do, but he insisted on talking in terms I didn't understand. For awhile now I had been having nightmares about the Section standards for what Newton called "basic computer skills". Newton was near my age or younger, maybe nineteen or so. He had short blond hair and baby blue eyes and he looked too young to be this good and definitely too young to have been recruited here. I had often wondered how he came to Section One but I knew better than to ask.

"No no no!" Newton cried, "You just killed the whole damn team!"

I collapsed in my chair, instinctually trying to hide behind my brown locks of hair.

"Sorry." I was barely able to get the word out.

"Morning Bella. How are you doing today?"

I gave a start and turned to look at Edward, pushing the hair away from my face. His expression seemed open and…_kind_. Not at all what I was used to seeing on his rather handsome face.

"Not that great." I answered grimly, leaving it at that.

"Computer sequencing is hard. You'll get the hang of it." Edward said, smiling, and walked away to talk to another female recruit.

_What_ was_ that_? Edward being considerate? Edward being lenient? To _me_? That was a first. Come to think of it, it was probably the last. I felt like I was missing an important piece of the puzzle. Billy's voice came back to my mind, telling me to start watching my back.

"Get back to work, Bella." Newton ordered harshly, bringing me back to the present. "You still need to find a way to fix the slight error of getting everyone killed in the sim."

"Sir, yes sir!" I said, and although I meant my reply to be rebellious, it came out as meek and subservient. If I didn't learn this, I would find myself in even deeper shit than I already was. "Could you just show me the sequence one more time?"

Newton sighed a sigh between exasperated and weary but showed me the sequence, and this time he did it much slower.

"Wait, wait! If I want to do an extra sweep of the perimeter, do I do this" I asked, demonstrating to him a combination of keystrokes, "or this?"

He looked annoyed. "Neither. Look, you _are_ getting better but you just need to pay close attention, _all the time_, or you're never going to get this."

I drew a deep breath and gave him my most pleading look. "Newton…please. I _will _get my act together. I don't get computers really but it's not that I don't want to learn. I do want to. I just need you to be patient for a little while longer."

Newton sighed. "Okay. We'll start from the top. But I can't and I _won't_ cover for you if I'm asked how you're doing."

"That's all I can ask. More, even. Thanks Newton." I pecked him on the cheek lightly and to my amazement he blushed. I guess I wasn't the only blusher in Section One, but unlike me, Newton wasn't or wasn't supposed to become a field operative.

oooo

I had been living in the streets for over a year when it happened. Living like that was just as bad as you'd think, but it still beat living at home...by a very thin thread.

My crazy mother, already having had a string of boyfriends, all worse than the one before, had found herself a real keeper. James was different than all the others. Dark, sinister, _disturbed_…to put the long story short, I couldn't stand him and what he did to my mom or what he tried to do to me, and in turn he decided he couldn't stand me, being on his way. My mom preferred James over me so I had to leave and since my father had died soon after I was born and he had had no family, I was on my own.

For the most part, anyway. Anyone living in the streets soon finds out that you need a friend or two, but even the best of friends I had while I was there weren't the kind I'd trust enough to turn my back. Everyone looked after number one. Still, there was strength in numbers and we did take care of each other in our own way, just because it helped all of us to survive. Not everyone did, of course. Many died a drug related death, and some just...disappeared.

As for how I ended up here and in this mess in the first place...I was in a very wrong place at a very bad time. I had just walked into an alley looking for some scraps to eat and a semi-safe place to rest my weary feet when I literally bumped into a huge, mean looking guy who had just stabbed a uniformed cop. Understandably the guy got very upset when he saw me and while we fought he thrust the knife at me and as the sirens started to get closer he ran, leaving me at the scene in hysterics, holding a bloody knife in self defence. No one believed my story of the guy in the alley, not even my jaded court appointed attorney. My mother didn't bother coming down or answering my calls. I was found guilty, and a date was set for my sentencing. Before my sentence was ever read tough, I went to sleep in my cell one night and woke up here. And the rest was my reality.

Edward was set as my trainer and for the past year we had had a restrained relationship. At least that is how it felt to me. Esme kept emphasizing that Section One would be my only family from now on, but at the same time I wasn't supposed to get too attached to anyone and just focus on my job. And Edward! He sure didn't come off as a person who was even capable of becoming attached. Billy had warned me, discreetly, more than once about trusting _anyone_ too much.

To sum it up, I lived in a spy novel, and I was becoming more sure with time that I lacked the skills to become one myself. Both the physical and the mental.

I would have to change myself completely to be able to become what was expected of me and to become the operative Edward wanted to see. I wanted to believe that he was right and that that was something I was capable of. Maybe I was just a late bloomer, I tried to console myself.

I wasn't totally stupid though. I knew I would have to _excel_ from now on or my time in Section One would be very limited.

oooooooooooooooo

Glossary:

Operations= Head of all operations, The Boss of Section One

comm link= Communication link, a fancy closed circuit phone

sim= simulation

oooooooooooooo

**AN**: If you read this story and like it, _please_ leave a review. It hasn't gotten any notice at FFnet (yet?) and _very_ little notice on the other archive I have been posting it. I would love to hear any feedback, god or bad!


	4. Chapter 3: Out

**La Femme Bella**

**Chapter 3: Out**

After my talk with Newton I started slowly getting better, not only with computers but with rest of my lessons too. I don't know if it was all the soul searching I had been doing or Billy's warnings and the final realization that if I didn't start applying myself I would really die. It wasn't like I had been slacking off during my first year in Section but suffice to say that finally realizing my precarious situation motivated me a lot more.

Edward had changed too…or at least his demeanor towards me had. He still pushed me to my limits and sometimes beyond but he wasn't as cold and as unfriendly as before. Sometimes he even offered a kind word on my progress . Edward wasn't big on compliments so when he said something positive I knew I had deserved it.

My weekly sessions with Esme continued. I was finally growing into my body and getting used to thinking of myself as a pretty, if not exactly dazzling young woman. In my future work I would be likely to need a lot of acting skills and versatility along with my new toned and less clumsy physique. I still hadn't totally rid myself of blushing, but Esme had consoled me that that could also come in handy on some missions and roles I was going to play. Who wouldn't trust (and underestimate!) a blushing young woman…just as long as she didn't blush at the wrong time, like when she was lying. I had gotten better at lying with a straight face. I tested those skills on Esme, and as far as I could tell, she couldn't always detect it.

My days consisted of grueling hours of different kinds of training; martial arts, guns and ammo, target practice, computers and finally history and some other theory classes. I started at 5 AM and was free for the night at 7 PM. Then I usually went to my room on the recruit housing area on level zero. There wasn't any of my personality showing in the stark little space. White walls, a single bed with white linen and an ultra modern reading lamp beside the bed. I also had a stereo and some music. We weren't allowed to listen to radio, but I doubted it would have worked this far under the surface of the ground anyway. The best part of my room was the bookshelf. The books kept me sane and went along well with their plan to educate me in just about everything. Book learning wasn't hard, although I had always liked prose better than theory. It was the first hand combat and Newton's computers that I still sometimes had troubles with.

Among others they had this 3D sim where I had to shoot hostiles while trying to prevent myself from getting shot as long as I could. When the computer generated hostiles shot me, there was a real pain where ever they had managed to hit me. It had taken me months to be able to complete the sequence. I think Edward had almost lost his hope, although he was nicer to me by then than how he had been in the beginning. The last time I had failed and fallen down in terrible pain he had told me to move away from the sim area and then went on and completed the sequence himself. When _he_ did it, it seemed near effortless. Then he came down to me and handed me the gun.

"You are missing the point of this exercise, Isabella." he had said quietly, "The exercise isn't about shooting but getting shot. You need to keep your head _when_ that happens. Now, try it again." he emphasized the word "when" as if forcing me to understand that getting shot during the sequence was inevitable. It probably was.

After one more try I had completed the sequence. I understood it better now, but it made me slightly disgruntled that I hadn't thought of the solution myself.

In summing up, I had progressed a lot and in a strange way I was even starting to feel like I fit in and like I was supposed to be here. Things like learning to extract information sufficiently kept me reminded that this wasn't a perfect world I was living in, but it maybe this was a blessing in disguise. I was one of the good guys.

oooooooooooooooo

"Is she ready?" Esme asked Edward while Operations listened on, standing at his command center and watching his busy minions down below.

"Not yet."

"I'm growing tired of this song and dance with her," Operations said as he turned towards the other two. "She either succeeds of fails. Tonight."

Edward nodded calmly, and Esme smiled.

oooooooooooooooo

"Morning Isabella. I have some news for you." Edward had gripped my arm gently when I was passing him by on my way to Newton. Naturally he couldn't give me all of the computer lessons himself because he was the best in Section, but he gave me a personal lesson once a week.

"What?" I asked varily. Were the news good or bad?

"We're going out tonight."

"Out." I repeated. "Out as in _outside_? Away from here?"

"Yes." he answered simply, not an expression on his beautiful, still face.

"Why?" I asked, puzzled and perhaps a bit suspicious.

"You've earned it." he said simply, "Esme will help you pick out a nice dress. We will leave at 7 PM."

"Okay." I answered his back. He was already walking away.

Suddenly I felt nervous but very excited. I was going _out_, for the first time in maybe a little less than two years. And Edward, my handsome trainer was taking me. Like a date. I had never had a date. I was never a popular girl, even before I ran from home. In fact some kids at school had bullied me and no one would take a chance on being ostracized and make friends with me. Not being able to invite anyone home didn't help. First of all my mom never let me, and secondly and more to the point, I was too embarrassed of her and her and the state of our house anyway.

oooo

After my class with Newton I went to see Billy. I wanted to tell him about my date! Er, about being allowed to go _out,_ I hastily corrected myself.

"Hey Sugar. What's got you smiling like that?" Billy greeted me with a smile of his own. He was taking guns out from their cases. I assumed there was a flash mission coming, maybe something to do with Red Cell. Red Cell was Section One's worst enemy; a league of terrorists operating all over the world.

"I'm going out." I swallowed the words 'on a date', but in my head I screamed them repeatedly while jumping up and down like a sixteen year old girl that I suddenly felt like. "With Edward."

Billy's smile ceased up and he looked worried.

"It's been a long time since you've been out there, in the _real_ world. Be careful." he said, patting my shoulder lightly.

"I will be okay." I assured him, but he still seemed thoughtful when I left him five minutes later to go to my karate lesson.

oooo

The dress Esme recommended for me was deep blue and sleeveless and it came right down to my ankle. The hem was so narrow that a long slit at the other side was needed just to be able to take tiny steps. Black, sparkly stilettos and a black beaded handbag completed the outfit.

I put my hair up with a clip and some bobby pins and left a couple of tendrils to curl freely around my face. Then I gave myself a make up treatment the way Esme had taught me. After putting on the lipstick (a dark red shade called 'chili') I was done.

"You look beautiful, Isabella." Esme said as I came out from the dressing room and presented myself. I expected no less from her, but still managed to blush at the compliment. "Edward is already waiting for you in the hall."

I tried to walk confidently and steadily with my stilettos that I still hadn't quite gotten used to. I managed to keep myself upright as I reached Edward. He looked gorgeous in his dark suit and blue shirt. His tie was white. He turned to look at me and declared me beautiful. I felt nervous little tingles in my stomach. He took my arm and lead me to the elevator where he showed his eye to the scanner and punched in a code before the doors closed and the elevator started moving.

After taking me through several doors and an enterprise that looked like a bank, Edward and I finally came outside at the back of a building where a black limo was waiting for us. Edward opened the door for me like a gentleman.

"After you, Isabella."

oooo

The restaurant was so fancy that the old, pre-Section One Bella would have been scared to death of it. That Bella would have been driven away by the staff if caught taking a look inside the window, let alone trying to enter, I lamented.

The maitre d took us to our table ("A reservation for Masen." Edward had stated) and helped me to my seat.

Edward asked the waiter to bring us both a glass of red wine. While we waited, my eyes couldn't decide if they wanted to stare at the impressive scenery of the restaurant or the just as impressive scenery of the man that had brought me here. His coppery hair was in a sexy mess as usual and his green eyes were…warm. I felt my heart starting to palpitate. I _knew_ he was my trainer and that there could _never_ be anything real between us, but I could just look at him, right? Especially on my first date. _Our_ first date, actually.

When the waiter came back with the wine he also had a box on his tray.

"This is for the lovely lady." he said smiling as he placed the box in front of me, next to the wineglass.

I turned to Edward, my eyes wide with surprise.

"Did you get this? For me?" I whispered, my voice sounding hoarse.

Edward nodded an affirmative.

I turned my gaze back to the box. The box was light blue and sparkly and the ribbon was deep red. I couldn't remember the last time I had gotten a present. it must have been when I was little and my mom still cared about birthdays and Christmases.

"Open it." he told me gently.

I closed my eyes in pleasant anticipation and lifted the lid. Then I opened them again and took a look inside. I think I lost my ability to breathe for a few seconds. I stared at the contents of the box in silent shock as Edward started to speak.

"There is a group of men seated at the table behind us. The man in the middle, the one with the green shirt, is supplying new, state of the art weaponry to Red Cell. I want you to kill him, and as many of his associates as you can."

I was finally able to lift my eyes to his. I think there were tears in mine.

"There is a window in the ladies room. The car will wait for you in the back alley exactly ten minutes, starting now. Give me a full minute to make my exit before you assemble the gun."

Gun. There was a gun in the box.

Edward took a drink from his glass and stood up, walking away looking casual.

I trembled, and closed my eyes again.

Ten minutes, I told myself. Ten minutes to put together the gun, shoot a bunch of bad guys and get the hell out. This hadn't been a date after all, not about something I had earned. This was a job. My first one.

I allowed myself thirty seconds to panic until pulling myself together with effort and assembling the gun as covertly as I could. I stood up and realized that I couldn't move fast enough in my long, tight dress. I barely recognized myself as I sat back down and picked up the knife from the table setting and slashed it through my dress to make another long slit. Then I thought, just in case, and made the pre-existing slit longer as well.

I placed the knife back on the table and took a big sip of wine. Then I stood up again, placing my hands next to my body as not to garner any unwanted attention. I took long strides towards the table, wobbling just a bit in my stilettos. As I reached my target, I froze up.

How could I just pull the trigger? How could I end someone's life, or several lives? Forget _that,_ would I even be able to hit anything without missing? Precious seconds kept ticking away and I knew I had to make my decision now. I wanted to live. Live long enough to regret _this_, maybe, but live all the same.

"What's the matter, doll?" one of the men in the table asked me. I raised my gun, and put a bullet through his head. Then I shot the green shirted man and had a shot at two others before the remaining men caught on and pulled out their own guns.

The restaurant was in a chaos, no matter the silencer I had used, and I started my desperate run towards the bathrooms. I broke a heel and almost fell as a bullet flew right over my head. That heel probably saved my life, I thought as I turned and shot back at the man. I must have hit him somewhere as he fell down. I took off my shoes and continued running barefoot. There was shattered glass on the floor and my feet hurt as I tried to keep up my speed.

As I finally reached the bathroom I was relieved and near the end of my tether. I was shaking and bleeding as I went to the frosted glass window on the back wall next to the stalls. The latch was stuck and I rattled it and punched it hurting my fist before it gave out and opened.

Bars. The window had bars.

"No. NO!!" I wailed, and sank to the floor. My way out was shut and I didn't know how much was left of my ten minutes. This was the end, I thought, the end of Isabella Marie Swan. I would die here, but I would die fighting, kicking and screaming bloody murder. I reloaded my gun, got up and left the bathroom to look for another way out, perhaps a backdoor or something.

I peaked inside the kitchen and nearly got shot. Forget that! I fired a couple of rounds through the door and turned back and ran towards the dining hall where I had started.

The remaining customers were trying to flock out of the restaurant, trampling on each other. I joined the pack as nonchalantly as I could, praying that no one would notice me. Just a little more and I would be out. How much time did I have left; would the car still be waiting for me?

As I got outside I took a deep, relieved breath of the night air before starting to run. I ran towards the back of the restaurant, looking for the right car when a door popped open in a near black van. That's me, I thought, and ran inside.

Edward was looking at me in a curious way as he punched the wall to let the driver know he should go.

For a minute I just sat there and panted, making an assessment of how I was. Somewhere along the line I had skimmed my right knee and it was bleeding profusely. The soles of my feet hurt from the glass shards and some of them were still imbedded on my skin. My right hand was swollen and hurting from punching the latch. My hair had gotten loose and my dress was in shambles.

I was sore all over and in shock but I was lucky to be alive.

"There were bars on the window." I told him, half accusingly, half asking for his sympathy.

"Of course there were." Edward replied simply.

oooooooooooooooo

Glossary:

flash mission= an unplanned mission that comes up very fast


	5. Chapter 4: New Life

**La Femme Bella**

**Chapter 4: New Life**

I stared at Edward in horror.

"What do you mean, 'of course there were'?" I demanded.

"We needed to know you would be able to perform under pressure."

"So the window was a test? Just to see if I even made it out alive?"

"Yes."

"Right. Why bother with an operative that gets killed on her first mission." I mumbled, hoping that the contempt and distaste I felt were oozing from my voice.

"Yes. What you just did wasn't a mission though, just an exercise out of the box." he said coolly. I felt belittled.

"You _bastard!" _I launched myselfat him, planning to scratch his very eyes out. Edward took a hold of my upper arms and kept me still.

"Be. Quiet." he hissed silently, his usually cool façade cracking a little. "Listen and listen good, Isabella. Can I let go of you?"

After a moment of thought, I nodded. His tight grip eased off me, and I sat back down. Edward glanced at the driver, and took a deep breath to calm himself. I had never seen anything affect him like this, least of all little ol' me. What a strange thing to witness, I thought in passing.

"You aren't in training anymore." he said," You passed."

"What does that mean?" I whispered back at him, feeling paranoid of the driver hearing us.

"You'll see in a few minutes."

oooo

We were left standing at the entrance of an apartment complex and Edward told the van to leave without us. There were four buildings, and none of them that big. In my quick estimation the complex housed maybe sixty people. The feel of the place was welcoming, like of a nice little haven in the middle of a big city.

Edward led me to the threshold of one of the buildings and opened the door for me and we climbed to the third floor. I managed to keep up with his pace although it made my injuries hurt more. We stopped at apartment number nine and he dug out a key from his breast pocket. There was no key ring.

Once we were inside he turned and handed the key to me.

"This is your new home. You have two weeks to arrange your apartment and get used to your new life."

I looked at the key in my hand, and then at Edward. Was this for real? Was I free?

"My home," I echoed.

"You are Isabella Masen. Here are your ID, driver's license and credit cards. If anyone asks, you are a kindergarten teacher in between jobs. We will contact you via phone. Your codename will be Marie," he said and handed me a brand new Nokia phone. "Don't let anyone else touch it. We will see you back in two weeks."

I couldn't manage any words and maybe it was better that way. I sank to the armchair that was the only furniture in the room, and just breathed deep. I flinched as I suddenly felt his hand on my bare shoulder.

"There is a first aid kit in the bathroom." he said softly and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

oooo

I loved my new apartment and immersed myself fully into furnishing it. For the first time ever I had a whole apartment to myself and a couple of credit cards to fill it with. And it was nice and clean and looked and even _smelled _new! The walls were off white (freshly painted) and the floors were made of actual wood instead of cheap linoleum.

When I first went shopping I felt a quite nervous to be out with normal people again. I wasn't sure if I was afraid for them or for myself. It was strange to try to act like a regular person instead of what they had molded me into. Once I got over the nervousness though I was as excited as a kid in a candy store. I wasn't what you would call thrifty with my purchases but I don't think I made _that_ much of a dent in the account they had set up for me. And if I had, I decided I deserved it after all that I had been put through. What would they do, _kill _me? Har har.

I went for comfort as well as the visual. Every single piece of furniture I bought was both nice to look at and heavenly to sit at or lie in. Over stuffed arm chairs, a bed with luxurious linen, beautiful kitchen ware…I made the apartment into a home, and funnily enough it looked a lot more like the home of a kindergarten teacher than a secret operative. I guess Esme and her crew really _did _know me well; a thought I found very unnerving.

oooo

My two weeks were almost up when one day there was a knock on the door. In hindsight it was dumb but the knock really scared me, and I mean 'scared' as in it got me nearly hysterical with my pulse racing like a NASCAR car. I knew no one, no one knew of me, and Edward had given me two whole weeks.

I creeped to the door and looked in the peephole

Okay. Life had certainly taught me that looks could be deceiving, but the young woman behind my door was anything but threatening. A lot shorter than me with black spiky hair and some sort of big, green plant in her lap that she was struggling with. The plant was nearly falling from her small grip.

I quickly yanked the door open.

"Hi." she said quickly "I'm your neighbour, Alice. I've seen you around a couple of times and wanted to come and welcome you to be building. And this is for you." she announced and presented me with the plant.

I was flabbergasted. I wasn't used to people wanting to know their neighbours because they were being _nice_. And Alice seemed thoroughly nice. I hardly realized I was still staring at her with my mouth agape when she started to fidget a bit.

"Look I better go. Anyway, I hope you like it here and maybe come over for coffee sometime…or not. I live in number eleven. And I'm Alice by the way."

That got my attention.

"Oh no, don't go. I'm Bella. You want to come in? Have a cup of tea? I think I have tea." I pondered aloud. "And I _know_ I have some soda."

The woman started smiling and followed me inside with the plant.

"Where should I put this?" she asked, wavering a bit under the weight. It was a big plant.

"Hmmm. On that table near the window? It should get enough light there." I suggested.

She put the plant down and then followed me into the kitchen corner.

"I think I spoke too soon with the tea." I admitted embarrassedly, "How about soda?"

"Anything you have is fine. You seemed so nice I wanted to get to know_ you_." she said.

I blushed, remembering that night nearly two weeks ago. She wouldn't think I was that nice if she knew the truth about me. Thenagain, if she knew the truth I'd probably have to kill her, too. I wondered if I was doing her a disservice by letting her in my apartment and getting to know me.

But I needed a friend. Most of all, I _wanted_ a friend. I'd never had a real friend before; the closest thing to a friend I'd ever had was Billy. And that old man wanted to get into my pants. At least some of the time, I thought. It was hard to tell with him.

We sat down on the living room with our sodas. Alice told me about her work as a seamstress for an unknown fashion designer. She wanted to be able to design professionally someday but she knew she needed the experience and some connections first. I told her the crap about being a kindergarten teacher in between jobs. She had no reason to doubt me, so she believed every word. That made my gut clench guiltily, but stubbornly I tamped it down.

"Did you always want to work with kids?"

"Pretty much I guess. I love kids and oddly enough they seem to love me. Like minds, I guess." I explained, rolling my eyes for affect. I well and truly shocked myself for being able to lie like this. What I really was doing was spinning a story like Schehereschade. At the moment the words came out I almost believed them myself. At least they _could _be all true, if my life had turned out differently.

"That's great. They recognize a good soul when they see one. Kids are more astute than grown ups, you know."

Just give us a kid and we'll test that theory right now, I mused to myself. A good soul didn't kill, even if she wasn't given a choice other than death. I wasn't a good soul, no matter what Billy or Alice said. But I had wanted to live. I still did. I wanted a proper go at this thing called life without having to worry about living on the streets near starving and always in danger or being beaten or raped or killed or being betrayed by one of my street friends. I don't know if universe owed anyone anything, but if it did, surely I deserved this. The men I killed weren't innocent bystanders with a wife and kid safely at home. That had to count for something.

These thoughts had kept me awake at nights.


End file.
